Presseurop |

Espagne | Brussels turns spotlight on regional deficits

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:00:27 +0100

"Europe to examine regional deficits," headlines El Periódico, pointing out that "the Commission [which now evaluates the socio-economic and budgetary plans of member states] will be asking Spain to introduce further budgetary restrictions to reduce its deficit in 2012." At a time when several regional governments including the administration in Catalonia are "rebelling strongly" against the drive to cut back the public deficit to 6% of GDP by 2012, El Periódico notes that "doubts about the central government’s ability to impose discipline on defiant regions have emerged in Europe" while "the PP [right-wing opposition party] and the PSOE [ ruling socialist party] are trading allegations that [regional] public accounts have been falsified." For the Barcelona daily, the seriousness of the situation has also been highlighted by Moody´s rating agency which has announced that the central government has no effective instruments to ensure the achievement of objectives demanded by Brussels and the markets.

(News in brief)

Autonomy | Regions making themselves heard (Adevărul, Bucharest)

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:46:13 +0100

The International Court of Justice’s decision to uphold Kosovo’s declaration of independence will rekindle debate on the future of European regions with strong identities. On 24 July, the Romanian Vice-President of the European Parliament Laszlo Tökes called for autonomous status for Transylvania. And in Brussels, more than 300 regional delegations are lobbying to protect the interests of sub-national entities across the continent. (Article)

Regional Development | Rich Europe, poor Europe (Polska The Times, Warsaw)

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:33:09 +0100

Numerous national and European programmes have yet to succeed in eradicating major disparities between the rich and poor regions of the continent — a situation that may lead to funding cuts in the context of the current economic crisis. (Article)

Spain | Catalonian press unites for autonomy

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:30:32 +0100

In an unprecedented initiative,12 Catalan newspapers, including La Vanguardia, have published a common editorial entitled "The Dignity of Catalonia ", in which they express their support for Catalonia's Statute of Autonomy, the law that grants a special status to the region. Several provisions of the Statute – which was adopted in 1932, suspended under Franco, re-established in 1979, and modified and confirmed by referendum in 2006 - are likely to be invalidated by the Constitutional Court, which is shortly expected to deliver a verdict on the law. Specifically, the court may decide that the notion of a "Catalan nation" and its symbols--the Catalan flag, anthem, and national holiday – are unconstitutional. On this issue, the editorial asserts that Spain is a country composed of "regions and nationalities" and that "a mature pluralist and democratic vision of Spain will either stand or fall with the decision." It is a view not shared in Madrid, where El Mundo argues that the Statute of Autonomy was created “by a political oligarchy which aims to separate Catalonia, from the rest of Spain by disrupting the constitutional order and the model of democratic cohabitation."

(News in brief)

Macroregions | Europe flows west to east (La Vanguardia, Barcelona)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:09:36 +0100

20 years after the Iron Curtain came down, Europe still has its sights set more on the East than on the South. The EU regards the Baltic, the Danube and even the Black Sea as priority macroregions, sidelining the Mediterranean, which is sundered by huge social and economic imbalances between its two shores. (Article)

Cooperation | Balkans to Europe

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:07:40 +0100

The European Union's carrot and stick approach to the Balkans has left many people unhappy, warns Hido Biscevic, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council, an organisation partly funded by the EU with a mandate to promote development of the region. In an interview with Volkskrant, the ex-editor in chief of the daily Vjesnik, who is also a former secretary of state and ambassador, emphasised "the frustration experienced by Western Balkan countries at the slow process of EU enlargement." And the carrot is losing its attraction. Biscevic cites the example of Croatia, whose entry into the EU has been blocked by a conflict over territorial waters with Slovenia: "I regret that the European Commission has not done more to establish an agreement between Slovenia and Croatia. I also believe that it is not very respectable of the EU to allow its members to oppose the accession of states joining the Union on the basis of bilateral issues." Biscevic worries that some countries will tire of waiting for EU membership: "If the EU is going to be a source of frustration, political leaders [in the Balkans] will concentrate on other issues."

(News in brief)